Parkinson’s Nutrition Advice Parkinson’s disease is a condition caused by degeneration of nerves within the brain that produce dopamine. In Chinese Medicine Parkinson’s is considered to mainly be a deficiency of “yin.” Nerves are considered a yin substance and yin is the cooling, moistening, nutritive, grounding aspect of the body. So, in Parkinson’s it is very common to see symptoms such as tremors, difficulties with balance and dizziness from the lack of grounding substance; a degeneration of the nutritive aspect of the body such as the nerves; dryness and constipation. One yin substance in the body referred to as Blood, is also often deficient in Parkison’s. Blood is the nutritive substance within the body that is made from the combination of the energy of the digestive processes and the essence, or jing, within the body. Therefore, it is important to nourish the yin and Blood of the body. In order to do this one must not only consume food, which from a Chinese Medicine perspective nourishes yin and Blood, but also consume food which boosts the digestive energy in order to enhance production of Blood as well. Nutrition for Healthy Nerves and Yin

Western Nutrition agrees with Chinese Medicine From a western medicine perspective consuming foods that enhance the nerves ability to produce dopamine, reduce the possibility of further nerve damage and provide the nutrients the nerves need to continue to function and grow is what is most recommended. Western medicine often emphasizes supplementation and individual chemical nutrients in order to assist with symptoms of Parkinson’s, however these nutrients are contained in many common foods. In fact as shown below these nutrients are contained in the foods listed above which Chinese Medicine has promoted for the last several thousand years.